Buccal branches of the facial nerve

Buccal branches of the facial nerve
	Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves. (Labeled at center bottom, third from the bottom.)
	The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck.
Details
From	facial nerve
Innervates	cheek
Identifiers
Latin	rami buccales nervi facialis
TA	A14.2.01.111
FMA	53310
	Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The buccal branches of the facial nerve (infraorbital branches), are of larger size than the rest of the branches, pass horizontally forward to be distributed below the orbit and around the mouth.

Branches

The superficial branches run beneath the skin and above the superficial muscles of the face, which they supply: some are distributed to the procerus, joining at the medial angle of the orbit with the infratrochlear and nasociliary branches of the ophthalmic.

The deep branches pass beneath the zygomaticus and the quadratus labii superioris, supplying them and forming an infraorbital plexus with the infraorbital branch of the maxillary nerve. These branches also supply the small muscles of the nose.

The lower deep branches supply the buccinator and orbicularis oris, and join with filaments of the buccinator branch of the mandibular nerve.

Muscles of facial expression

The facial nerve innervates the muscles of facial expression. The buccal branch supplies these muscles

Muscle	Action
Risorius	Smirk
Buccinator	Aids chewing by holding cheeks flat
Levator labii superioris	Elevates upper lip
Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle	Snarl
Levator anguli oris	Soft smile
Nasalis	Flare nostrils
Orbicularis oris muscle	Purse Lips
Depressor septi nasi	Depresses nasal septum
Procerus	Moves skin of forehead

Testing the nerve

• Puff up cheeks (buccinator)

i. Tap with finger over each cheek to detect ease of air expulsion on the affected side

• Smile and show teeth (orbicularis oris)

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Additional images

Lateral head anatomy detail
Lateral head anatomy detail.Dissection the newborn

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 905 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

Anatomy photo:23:06-0104 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Branches of Facial Nerve (CN VII)"
lesson4 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (parotid3)
cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (VII)
https://web.archive.org/web/20080921093026/http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_47/47-5.HTM

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